How to connect a laptop to the Internet

Have you bought a laptop and don't know how to connect it to the Internet? I can assume that you belong to the category of novice users and I will try to help you - I will describe in detail how it can be done in different cases.

Depending on the conditions (Internet is needed at home or in the country house, at work or elsewhere), some connection options may be preferable to others: I will describe the advantages and disadvantages of different "types of Internet" for a laptop.

Connect the laptop to the home Internet

One of the most common cases: you already have a desktop computer and Internet at home (or maybe not, I'll also tell you), you buy a laptop and you want to access the Internet from it too. In fact, here everything is elementary, but I have seen a situation where a person bought a 3G modem for a laptop at home, having a dedicated Internet line - it is not necessary to do this.

1. If you already have an Internet connection at home on your computer - In this case, the best option would be to buy a Wi-Fi router. I already wrote about what it is and how it works in detail in the article What is a Wi-Fi router. Generally speaking: once you buy a cheap device, you have wireless Internet access from a laptop, tablet or smartphone; the desktop computer, as before, also has access to the network, but by cables. And you pay the same amount online as before.
2. If you don't have Internet at home - The best option in this case would be to connect a domestic cable Internet connection. Afterwards, you can connect your laptop with a wired connection like a normal computer (most laptops have a network card connector, some models require an adapter) or, as in the previous option, additionally buy a Wi-Fi router and use a wireless network within the apartment or house.

Why do I recommend wired broadband access (with the option of a wireless router if necessary) over a 3G or 4G (LTE) modem for home use?

The point is, cable Internet is faster, cheaper, and more unlimited. And in most cases the user wants to download movies, games, watch videos and more without thinking about anything and this option is perfect for it.

In the case of 3G modems the situation is somewhat different (although the promotional brochure may seem very bright): for the same monthly fee, regardless of the service provider, you get between 10 and 20 GB of traffic (between 5 and 10 movies in normal quality, or between 2 and 5 games) without speed limit during the day, and without limit at night. At the same time, the speed will be lower than with a wired connection and will not be stable (it depends on the weather, the number of people simultaneously connected to the Internet, obstacles and many other things).

Let's put it like this: without worrying about speed and thinking about wasted traffic, you can't work with a 3G modem; This option is suitable when wired Internet is not available or access is required anywhere, not just at home.

Internet for the dacha and other places

If to you the Internet on the laptop in the summer residence, in the cafe (although it is better to find cafe with free Wi-Fi) and everywhere - here you need to look closely at the 3G (or LTE) modems. If you buy a 3G modem, you will have Internet on your laptop wherever there is network operator coverage.

Megafon, MTS and Beeline rates for this type of Internet are practically the same, as are the conditions. Except that Megafon's "night time" shifts an hour, and prices are slightly higher. You can study the rates on the official websites of the companies.

Which 3G modem is better?

There is no clear answer to this question: any telecom operator's modem may be better for you. For example, in my dacha, MTS works badly, but Beeline is perfect. And at home the best quality and speed is shown by MegaFon. At my last job, MTS had no competition.

The best thing is that you know roughly where you are going to use Internet access and check how each operator "takes" (with the help of friends, for example). Any modern smartphone will do; after all, they use the same Internet as modems. If you see that someone's signal reception is weak and the letter E (EDGE) appears above the signal strength indicator instead of 3G or H, it takes a long time to download apps from Google Play or AppStore when using the Internet, you better not use the services of that operator in that place, even if you prefer. (By the way, it is even better to use special applications to determine Internet speed, such as Internet Speed ​​Meter for Android).

If the question of how to connect the laptop to the Internet interests you in some other way, and I have not written about it, please write it in the comments and I will surely answer you.